Friends of Starkweather Creek

Trickle Newsletter October: 2015

Friends of Starkweather Creek (FSC) was started in February 2002 by a group of concerned citizens who wanted to promote the rejuvenation of Starkweather Creek. Over the years, FSC has organized creek clean-ups and celebrations to raise awareness and pride in the creek. We also actively advocate for responsible development in the watershed and for commitments from city government to improve the creek.

Annual Membership Meeting

We welcomed attendees to our annual membership meeting with food from the Willy Street Coop We enjoyed presentations by the kids from the summer Goodman Camp and by Paul Noeldner about his bird nature walks in the parks. We also presented about our 2015 activities and thanked the many volunteers that make Friends of Starkweather Creek a vibrant and welcoming group. At our business meeting we re-elected two board members, Dea Larsen Converse and David Pulkowski, and elected one new member, Dane Wudel. Congratulations Dane! We look forward to tackling new challenges in the coming year. Come join us on the creek!

Fall Message from Clean Lakes Alliance

By Theresa Vander Woude

Fall is here, and it's time to "rake for your lakes" and start clearing leaves from your street gutters.

Most people don't know that leaves, one of the biggest urban sources of phosphorus to our lakes, are such a problem. Even if you are aware, the list of "lake-friendly" leaf management options can get overwhelming. The important thing to remember, whether you shred, mulch, compost, bag, sweep or just rake, is that anything you can do to keep your leaves away from hard surfaces is a plus. Since storm sewers go directly to the lakes, it's especially important to keep leaves out of the streets.

Just remember this equation: leaves + rain + asphalt = major nutrient overdose to the lakes. Even small amounts of phosphorus can fuel algae blooms in our lakes, so it's never too early to get out and rake.

Fall Canoe Tour
By Carl Landsness

A specially synergistic group of adults, children, and critters experienced the wonder, awe, and glee of innocent children Saturday Oct. 17… mixing magical weather, water, play, and fall color… as an uplifting and transforming remedy to Nature Deficit Disorder… paddling up the creek (with a paddle).

“The future will belong to the nature-smart—those individuals, families, businesses, and political leaders who develop a deeper understanding of the transformative power of the natural world and who balance the virtual with the real. The more high-tech we become, the more nature we need.”
—Richard Louv, author Last Child in the Woods